Untitled
by wren10514
Summary: Hands Off! fic. Just a random moment in the lives of our three little ESPers. Roughly set between book 3 and 4.


Disclaimer: I wish I had thought of these characters!

Why does Kotarou always make us sit at the front? It was the last lesson of the week, I was bored and tired and I had to sit through history with no hot girls to look at! Damn Kotarou. What I need is to be sat at the back – with a whole landscape of hotties laid out before me I would never have this problem. Aah, my happy place…but all I had in front of me were some serious hopeless cases and sensei. Well, and Tatsuki. Still I really don't think I can count that as an eye-candy bonus: more a migraine.

I'd been trying not to look at the guy all day. His aura swirled at the edge of my vision making me feel kind of sick. I was used to the serious broodiness, the violence and the weird ESP, but this was becoming more of a problem than all of them put together. For the last couple of days his aura had been getting stronger and stronger till now I didn't even have to concentrate to see it. Hell, I was desperately trying to shut myself off from seeing it, but it wasn't doing any good. I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if the guy had just been in a reasonably good mood, but this is Tatsuki we're talking about. I'd seen him in worse states sure, but that wasn't even saying very much given how much he seems to care for Kotarou and how often the little guy seems to get into trouble. Still Tatsuki's aura was a mass of dark purple and black, pulsing and swirling whenever I glanced his way and it was giving me a headache. Ok, I know what you're thinking. It did worry me as well. I'm not a completely cold-hearted bastard, it's just that Tatsuki always seems to look that way. Hey, it's not like I hadn't tried to help him, but what'm I supposed to do if he won't even tell me what's wrong? Living with that much fear and pain all the time…I couldn't imagine what that was like, let alone what might cause it. Tatsuki was easily the strongest person I knew, but even he couldn't deal with it all on his own. Eventually he was gonna crack and I just hoped this wasn't the start of it. The colours I was seeing seemed to be mocking that hope.

Sensei started pacing: he often did that when he was getting really into a subject. I had no idea what he was talking about, but my eyes obediently followed him in the pretence of paying attention. My mind was otherwise occupied. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stop myself from groaning every time his feet brought him round where I had to look past Tatsuki. I felt my stomach flip in sympathy as the swirl of colours in front of me took a particularly nasty turn, vivid orange panic leaping up before a wave of black and one of the darkest purple's I had ever seen (before I met Tatsuki it would have easily qualified as the darkest, but he had shown me whole new depths). Through his aura I could see Tatsuki tense, his eyes wide open and fixed on the desk in front of him while the colours surged. For a minute I thought he might throw up right there. He was gripping the table so hard I could see the tendons stick out on the back of his hand and I couldn't take my eyes off him, all thoughts of even pretending to listen to Sensei completely gone. I barely dared to breathe as the minutes slowly ticked by. Just as suddenly as it had come on Tatsuki shuddered and relaxed a little. He brought a hand up to rub his eyes and for a second I thought he would pass out as his aura suddenly disappeared from my ability to see it, only to come back just as quickly. Coming back to myself I realised that no one else had noticed anything and that I was right about the migraine.

The lesson ended fairly soon after that and we all starting packing up our things. I kept half an eye on Tatsuki as he stood, noticing how careful he was about it, as if he didn't really trust himself not to keel over. To be honest I didn't really trust him not to either. I was tempted to offer him a lift home then and there, not liking the thought of him getting on his bike in that state, but knew he wouldn't forgive me for it, especially with Kotarou there. Tatsuki and his cousin have this weird relationship – he seems to hate the kid until Kotarou gets in trouble and then he'll risk everything to protect him. Man, I've seen him take some serious beatings for Kotarou, but ask Tatsuki to talk to him for five minutes and he'll make sure you never walk again and as for showing any weakness around Kotarou…I didn't like to think about it. Still the idea of him operating heavy machinery at this point concerned me.

"Hey Tatsuki what are you doing now?"

He gave me a suspicious look. "Why?"

"Yeah why?" Kotarou just looked appalled that I would want to speak to his cousin. Can't blame him really. Must be hard living with a guy who hates you, even if it's only a front.

I shrugged, trying to look like they were the ones doing making a big deal out of nothing. "Hey, you're off to basketball practise. Just thought me and Tatsuki could hang is all."

They both looked at me like I was insane, but I was used to that. Kotarou almost looked hurt, but it was nothing he wouldn't forget about after a good practise; Tatsuki on the other hand turned and walked away without a word.

"Jerk. He's just as bad at home you know."

"Yeah I can tell," I said hurriedly. I wanted to catch up with Tatsuki. "Hey have a good practise. See you tomorrow yeah," I called as Kotarou spotted Mio and headed of towards the gym. Tatsuki was obviously hurrying, no doubt trying to avoid me, but I called his name anyway as I rushed to catch up, grabbing his arm when he still didn't turn round.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Now he turned, practically knocking me over as he brushed me off and glared his special glare. He couldn't stop me noticing though how he almost fell over himself, or how his aura flared almost ultraviolet at my touch. He was hanging on by a thread.

I backed off, putting up my hands to try and get him to calm down. Most people had already left and the couple of stragglers only hurried on their way, not wanting to get caught up in whatever was going on. That was fine by me. Udou had told me to take care of these guys and I guessed it was time to take his advice.

"Hey Tatsuki, I'm just trying to help ok?"

"Well don't."

I smiled, trying to lighten his mood like a butterfly in a hurricane. "Look I just thought you might need a ride is all. You can't pretend to me you're in a fit state to drive."

He turned away again, heading for his locker. I followed slowly behind him. "My aura is none of your business."

"Hey, and I would love it if I could ignore it, you know, but you're not just easy to read your broadcasting stronger than I can block. Frankly it's making me kinda sick and I figure if it's doing that to me you're probably dying so just let me get you home. Give me your keys and I'll even pick up your bike for you."

He had stopped at his locker but wasn't opening it. In fact he looked like it was the only thing keeping him upright. "No one touches my bike."

This was the closest Tatsuki got to humour and I chuckled. Looking back it was probably more out of nervousness than anything else, but it seemed the thing to do at the time. His aura was rising again in huge swoops and pulses of purple, with orange slowly entering the mix as panic took over simple fear. "Fine I won't touch the bike. Still, you need some help-"

That was an understatement. Suddenly the colours soared in a swirl of black bigger than any I'd ever seen. Tatsuki whimpered and clasped his arms around his head, pressed face-first into the locker. I heard a gasp from somewhere behind me, but I didn't really take in what that must mean. For a moment the shock of what I saw in his aura blinded me to what was actually happening to him, but then I was with him, turning him to face me.

"Tatsuki! Tatsuki, you've got to tell me what's going on! How can I help? Tatsuki!"

Touching him it hit me just how much power he had inside him and it scared the crap out of me. Still, what scared me more was that Tatsuki's power was going to kill him. I have never felt so helpless in my life as I did then, holding up this scary, powerful, violent jerk and praying to every god there might be that he was going to be ok. His eyes snapped open, but it was clear he wasn't seeing me. His eyes…they were normally pretty dark (brown I guess, I don't pay much attention to the colour of boys eyes) but now they were anything but dark. I would have said they glowed if I thought it was possible. They were blue now…but no normal blue.

"Holy shit Tatsuki…what are you seeing…?"

I wasn't expecting an answer.

"I see bad things…"

It was such a childish phrase in a voice so low I wasn't even sure he had spoken and yet it seared me like he was breathing fire. That couldn't be the answer, could it? The riddle of Tatsuki solved? That would be just too unfair, surely the universe couldn't be that cruel…but the more I thought about it the more it started to fit everything together. What if Tatsuki's power was just to see bad things? To see the worst of everything? How much could a power like that screw you up?

Turned out it was quite a lot.

I couldn't tell you how long we stayed like that, all I know is it was long enough that I was taken by surprise when his eyes shut and his knees buckled, making me grab at him at an odd angle as I tried to ease him slowly to the floor. In reality we came to the ground with a thud as my ankle gave at the odd service that was being asked of it. Tatsuki was panting and I had the feeling I was too.

"What did you see?"

I didn't know I was going to say it until I did, and I kind of wish I hadn't. Tatsuki pushed me away and tried to stand. Lucky for me he couldn't or he probably would have kicked my ass. Once he realised that he was going to have to sit for a bit I think it helped him realise just how much he needed help. He seemed to resign himself to it.

He sighed, turning his face away since he couldn't run. "I don't know what I saw." He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead at the pain that I saw flare. "I can't make sense of it anymore. There's just too much of it. All jumbled in together."

I shook my head in pure disbelief. "Holy shit Tatsuki…" There didn't seem to be much more to say.

Suddenly there was the sound of hurried footsteps coming towards us down the hall. Before he could argue about needing help I hauled Tatsuki to his feet draping one of his arms round my shoulders before I even turned to see who was coming. The last flash seemed to have purged something in Tatsuki, his aura still decidedly ugly but no longer pressing on my brain so much. Mostly he just seemed like he was about to pass out, but he snapped practically to attention when he saw who it was running towards us. Kotarou of course, with Mio hanging back watching with concern. I remembered the gasp I had heard and realised she must have followed me and gone to get Kotarou when she saw Tatsuki in trouble. Kotarou himself seemed genuinely concerned as he reached out to Tatsuki. I stepped back quickly, while hefting Tatsuki with me and trying to make it look casual to make sure they didn't touch. Tatsuki was far too weak to get a power boost now and I quickly tried to cover up my movement with my mouth.

"Hey Kotarou! You didn't need to come out of practise. Tatsuki's not feeling too well so I'm going to give him a lift home. I'll probably see you there when you get back."

I felt bad watching Kotarou's face fall as I turned us away towards the car park, there was nothing else I could do…

"Wait…"

Tatsuki whispered to me and I turned back to face the frozen form of Kotarou. Rummaging in his pocket Tatsuki pulled something out and threw it haphazardly at his cousin: a key.

"Even a scratch on it and I kill you."

Tatsuki's voice was low and hard, but Kotarou broke out in a huge grin, gazing longingly at the key to his cousin's motorbike. We turned again to leave.

"Watch it. Mio's jealous enough of you two already."

That earned me a glare, but I couldn't help smiling as I took him home.


End file.
